Clear blue Solent

J

johndove

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 Feb 2005
Messages
238
Location
London
Visit site
Why is the sea around the Solent so clear? The sea has never been so blue and clear. Wondering if it's anything to do with lack of pleasure craft pumping waste into the sea? Normally there's hundreds of yachts, power and sail. But seems with none out the waters is so much clearer. A few pictures taken of Portsmouth

Or is there a more scientific reason?

A few pictures from the local press. b25lY21zOjEwY2ExYzVlLWE0ZDQtNGNlYi04ZWNlLWM3NWRjZWRjYzE1OTo0ZDY3MTJjMS1iMzRkLTQ0NTctOWEwYS1jZT...jpgb25lY21zOmI0YjlhMGQ5LTQwMWQtNGVmZC05Nzg0LWMyYTZjMjVlM2ZiMjoxYmE1NWUyZS0xODZjLTQ3N2MtYWJiZi1iYm...jpgb25lY21zOmYzMDJjZmNmLWZiMWMtNDAyYi1hNWNkLWQ4OWVmMzZlNDk3YTo0MmMwZTQ1ZC1jNWVjLTRmODItOGRmNC0zYT...jpgb25lY21zOjQ2YWU2NmM4LWNlZTUtNGY0NS1iNmI3LTZkMTAxNzdlYjIyMjpjNTMyMjRkNi00NzE5LTRjODUtYTY2Yi0yOG...jpg
 
Low rainfall for a while so less run-off from the streets and fields : tyre and brake dust, general urban rubbish ground into power, plus farm animals only just starting to go out after being kept inside for winter, so no eutrophication, sunlight hours and sea temperature not yet sufficient to encourage growth of weed/algae/slime moulds, very low visitor and second homer population, and as already identified very reduced boat activity so no hull fouling washed off by movement, and lack of pump out, no storms to churn the benthic and intertidal zones.

All we need to keep the rivers clean is a population half the present size, but that means half the present (2019) economy and the majority of the country can't sustain a 2020 lifestyle on that.
 
Last edited:
We have also seen a long period of settled weather, so no storms to create waves pounding the beaches around the Solent adding to the silt in the water.

Will be interested to see if there is an algae bloom in a few weeks. Not normally seen from the shore but divers out in the Solent and the Channel are only too aware of the little white particles that cut visibilty down to just a couple of metres late Spring.

See someone is sneaking across the Solent this morning in 'cloaking mode' with the AIS turned off. Curtain twitchers will be outing them.
 
Last edited:
Someone showed photos like this on the HR page. My first assumption was the lack of props churning up the water and sediment but I agree that it is probably due to a complex of causes. It ought to be a sign of how much our activities affect the environment - if anyone cares to take notice.
 
sarabande said:
Low rainfall for a while so less run-off from the streets and fields : tyre and brake dust, general urban rubbish ground into power, plus farm animals only just starting to go out after being kept inside for winter, so no eutrophication, sunlight hours and sea temperature not yet sufficient to encourage growth of weed/algae/slime moulds, very low visitor and second homer population, and as already identified very reduced boat activity so no hull fouling washed off by movement, and lack of pump out, no storms to churn the benthic and intertidal zones.

All we need to keep the rivers clean is a population half the present size, but that means half the present (2019) economy and the majority of the country can't sustain a 2020 lifestyle on that.
Click to expand...
Had a lot of rain and some s/w winds last few days, yet it's clear again.
 
Greemble said:
Maybe much fewer propellers churning up the mud?

The bigger ships I'd guess would stay in deeper water and be further from the harbour floor, perhaps.
Click to expand...
It was said the Titanic very nearly didnt sail on time because she was very nearly aground when she left the dock at Southampton. Ok it has been dredged since then, but how much margin do some of the VLCCs have even now when fully loaded? I suspect not enough to prevent propwash stirring things up quite a bit at LWS.
 
The only time I have seen water that clear was in 1987 when I took my new boat from the Hamble round to the Medway. Along the Hove to Brighton shore it was clear down to 10 to 12 ft. Never seen water that clear since then except in the Isles of Scilly a couple of years ago.
 
The atmosphere is certainly less polluted and the sky very blue, when not overcast , so the blue sea reflecting the sky.
Pollution in the water , or the lack of it , may reflect lower discharge from sewage works which serve industry and city centres ?
 
oldharry said:
It was said the Titanic very nearly didnt sail on time because she was very nearly aground when she left the dock at Southampton. Ok it has been dredged since then, but how much margin do some of the VLCCs have even now when fully loaded? I suspect not enough to prevent propwash stirring things up quite a bit at LWS.
Click to expand...

Top end of Southampton water at Marchwood the turning circle is charted at 13.2m. CMA CGM Louis Bleriot, currently loading at the adjacent dock, has a AIS stated draught of 12.7m
Svitzer Eston, one of the local tugs, has a stated draught of 5.7m. The tugs have a huge prop force and definitely move the bottom around when they are shoving the big ships around. But this happens only in the docks area
 
The water at my mooring, on the approach channel to Port Solent, is quite often very clear early in the season. I've always put it down to the lack of algae in the water before it warms up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJE
johnalison said:
Someone showed photos like this on the HR page. My first assumption was the lack of props churning up the water and sediment but I agree that it is probably due to a complex of causes. It ought to be a sign of how much our activities affect the environment - if anyone cares to take notice.
Click to expand...
Someone posted them in one of the papers last week which included shots of the grass. One point made was that photoshop may have been used as the grass also looked especially verdant!

Not sure that props are that significant - the tide rips through some of those locations which must have more impact than even the biggest prop.
 
Pete7 said:
We have also seen a long period of settled weather, so no storms to create waves pounding the beaches around the Solent adding to the silt in the water.

Will be interested to see if there is an algae bloom in a few weeks. Not normally seen from the shore but divers out in the Solent and the Channel are only too aware of the little white particles that cut visibilty down to just a couple of metres late Spring.

See someone is sneaking across the Solent this morning in 'cloaking mode' with the AIS turned off. Curtain twitchers will be outing them.

Drug smugglers probably. They have to make a living, you know,
Click to expand...
 
jac said:
Someone posted them in one of the papers last week which included shots of the grass. One point made was that photoshop may have been used as the grass also looked especially verdant!

Not sure that props are that significant - the tide rips through some of those locations which must have more impact than even the biggest prop.
Click to expand...
Yes, you're right. Tides have been banned as part of the Covid shutdown.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top